Thirteen teams of Terriers with entrepreneurial aspirations will compete for a share of $10,000 in startup funding.
Wofford College’s Launch program will host the eighth Terrier Startup Challenge from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, in McMillan Theater in the Mungo Student Center. Each team will have four minutes to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges.
This year’s judges are Jason Hill ’19, vice president of finance at OneSpartanburg Inc.; Sam Ragland, partner and owner of Moe’s Original BBQ in Spartanburg; and Christy Parris, vice president and co-owner of P.A.R. Grading and Hauling
The prizes are $4,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, $2,000 for third and $1,000 for fourth. Audience members will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite concept and that fan favorite will win $500.
Sarah Butler, Wofford’s Launch Program manager, says judges and the audience will witness presentations delivered with confidence by students who have scrutinized their business models and identified areas requiring additional support.
“The pitch competition is a fun and exciting way to contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, have a direct hand in skill development and to cheer on our budding entrepreneurs,” Butler says. “A ton of people have good ideas, but not everyone is an entrepreneur.”
Isabella Duncan ’26 hopes to build a connected community for pre-veterinary students called Wofford’s Aspiring Veterinarians. Duncan, a biology major from Central, South Carolina says the competition is great venue for student from all disciplines to showcase their creativity and to shape their future.
“Vet school has rigorous requirements like gaining many clinical hours while also maintaining a high GPA,” Duncan says. “With Wofford’s Aspiring Veterinarians in place, pre-vet students can have peer support, veterinary experience and other resources that will help them succeed.”
Marshall Fleming ’26, a Spanish and government double major from North Charleston, South Carolina will present his concept Well Week, a calendar platform that integrates mindfulness.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” says Fleming, who is part of the Launch Program. “It has been almost a year since I started working on this and I have learned so much … Hopefully, I can win the competition and move forward.”
Cecil Elikem Asimenu ’24, a business economics and computer science double major from Ghana, will present TeamUP, a tool designed to help student-athletes capitalize on their name, image and likeness without compromising their eligibility.
“Winning would be confirmation that there is a need in the market and validation that my time and resources have been well spent,” Asimenu says.
Admission is free, but attendance is limited to Wofford students, faculty, staff, parents and select community partners only. A recording of the competition will be posted to the college's YouTube channel: @WoffordCollegeOfficial.